Powerball Winner in Iowa Owed $241 Million: Find 'Secure Location,' Say Officials
A Powerball winner in Iowa still has not claimed their substantial $241 million prize. The record-setting ticket was sold Wednesday at a Cedar Rapids grocery store, but the millions come with a dire warning.
The Powerball winner of Iowa, with numbers of 7-1014-33-57, bought the winning ticket from the second largest Hy-Vee store in the state, according to Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer. The store is now entitled to a $10,000 bonus because of the big win.
"It was purchased at a Hy-Vee store over there," Neubauer told Radio Iowa. "Obviously, a Hy-Vee store is a very busy supermarket. The address of this one is 5050 Edgewood Road in Cedar Rapids." Although the name of the person is public record, Neubauer implored they seek financial advice, as lottery winners' lives change drastically after they go public- and not always for the better.
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"We encourage the jackpot winner to consult a financial or legal advisor before claiming a prize of this size," she added. "This really is a life-changing amount of money. We want to make sure this person … [has] all of the information they'll need to make their decisions."
Despite the happy news of winnings, officials also warned the winner to keep their ticket safe until they had sorted things out- otherwise, things could get dangerous.
"Please keep that ticket in a secure location until you come forward to claim the prize," said Neubauer.
The warnings are certainly not overblown. Some lottery winners have fallen into misfortune because of their financial gains.
Just last month, a Detroit couple, William and Brenda Evans, were murdered over winning lottery tickets, according to their family. Tierra Evans, the couple's daughter, told WXYZ that her father had recently won the lottery for up to $5,000.
Another lottery winner, Abraham Shakespeare, was found dead in Florida, buried under five feet of concrete after he won a $17 million lump sum in 2006. Authorities didn't discover his body until 2010, and a woman was charged in connection with the murder.
Whoever has won the Iowa Powerball lottery can choose a $160.3 million lump sum- equating to $112 million after taxes- or opt for payments of about $8 million a year for 30 years before taxes.
